On Practice III 【修行 (三) -英文】
修行不争对不对,即使自己对,人家偏说你不对,你也要接受。凡事能承认自己不对,就不会起烦恼,否则心不安,烦恼立刻跟着来。
Practitioners should not quibble over who is right or wrong. When being wronged, we accept it even when we think we are right. If we are ready to admit mistakes and accept the wrong deeds that we are accused of, we will remain untroubled. If not, our mind will be disturbed and vexation will follow.
 
修苦行是要训练自己能舍身,要体会出这个身是假的,一定会坏,再怎么照顾也照顾不好,所以不要过于执着这个身体。再说(舍身),舍身是什么?就是要粗衣淡饭,生活简单,不追求吃好穿好。修行要先从这些衣食住的放下、淡泊修起。
Ascetic practice means training ourselves to "renounce the body" (i.e. renounce physical desires and cravings). We should realize that no matter how well we take care of it, this body is created and will eventually decay. What does it mean when we speak of "renouncing the body"? It means to wear coarse clothes and to eat simple fare, and in general to live a simple life. To stop craving for lavish clothes, meals, and living conditions is the first step into practice.
 
修行的路要越苦,才会开智慧。不是希望人家对我好,否则和世俗没两样。
The harder the path of practice, the closer to enlightenment we will be.
Do not expect people to treat us well, otherwise we will be no different than a lay person.
 
修行要学吃亏,凡事忍让不计较,才会有进步。
Learn to be willing to take losses or be taken advantage of without resentment. Be tolerant rather than calculating so that we may progress in practice.
 
(常自见己过,与道即相当。) 一个越有修行的人,越会发觉自己的缺失而觉得惭愧忏悔。
"Keep constant watch over our own transgressions, and we will not stray away from the right path". The more we practice, the easier it will become for us to discover our own shortcomings and feel remorse.
 
修行要修到动静无挂碍。什么叫做动静无挂碍?就是在动境中心不动,不被(动)转;而静时也没有(静)的念头,不执着(静)相。
Keep on practicing until we are capable of remaining tranquil and unfettered whether in action or stillness. What does this mean? It means that while we are active, our mind should stay calm and unswayed by our concerns. While we are instillness, we must not cling to the thought, or to the appearance, of the stillness.
 
(念佛扫尘埃,莲花朵朵开。)就是说修行人要有正念,随时以念佛转我们的心,把恶念都转为正念。
"Sweep the dust by chanting the name of (Amitabha) Buddha, and the Lotus will blossom and flourish." Thisstanza means that we practitioners ought to be guided by right mindfulness, purify our minds and turn all evil thoughts into proper ones by incessant mindfulness of the Buddha.
 
凡事要随缘,任何事都不能扰乱我们修道人的心。所有衣食住行、是非荣辱,皆要放下;如此外缘清净,心中智慧自然开朗。平常心就是道!每天保持不起烦恼,也不起欢喜心,对人不好也不坏,随缘和人结善缘,但不要变成攀缘。时时刻刻注意自己的起心动念,有坏念头马上要提醒自己。
Take everything as it comes; nothing ought to disturb the mind of a practitioner. Forgo our cravings for worldly goods such as clothes, meals, housing, cars, as well as all our sense of judgment, praise, or blame. Once we have untied ourselves from physical and mental distractions, wisdom will unfold. Conduct our daily lives in an unobtrusive fashion-- maintaining an ordinary mind is the way. Also, abstain from both vexation and exultation. Treat others with an ordinary mind, neither overly kind nor too harsh. Foster good karmic affinity with others when occasions arise, but it is not necessary to make efforts deliberately to get to know someone or hang around with someone. Be forever on the watch over our own thoughts and alert ourselves whenever an evil notion arises.
 
------Translated from Analects of Master Kuang-chin(编译自《广钦老和尚开示录》)
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